Alter Age is a JRPG with turn-based fight, developed by EXE Video games and printed by KEMCO. This title permits the participant to discover an unlimited world by way of crisp pixel artwork, enjoyable characters, and an attention-grabbing development system. Nevertheless, this recreation comes with a whole lot of bells and whistles that will or is probably not wanted.
With RPG titles, I desire a robust story. The fight system is necessary, however I want it to help a strong storyline. Sadly, Alter Age lacks within the story division.
You play as Arga, a younger man striving to be a Braver so he can ultimately face his father in battle. His father is thought to be the strongest on the earth (and the chief of the Bravers). Arga holds a grudge towards him for abandoning him and his sick mom a few years in the past. Typical household points stored the characters transferring from one place to the subsequent, however I wasn’t engaged. I misplaced curiosity within the story the extra I performed the sport. The forged repeat themselves lots, and the stakes really feel too low.
That doesn’t imply the characters themselves are unhealthy. Arga is a powerful protagonist and, in an effort to be a Braver, he must have a particular talent. As soon as woke up, Arga realizes his talent is Soul Alter, which permits him to swap between being an grownup and a preteen. It sounds ineffective, however the recreation makes use of it properly and it’s definitely distinctive from every other RPG I’ve performed.
Arga’s Soul Alter doesn’t simply work on him, although. It additionally works on his get together members, Elsie and Lillieka. They’re two younger ladies who be a part of Arga on his journey and, when Arga is an grownup, the women are younger. However when he turns right into a preteen, the women develop into adults. Relying on Arga’s age, totally different conversations and facet quests will seem with NPCs. In battle, preteens gained’t hit enemies as onerous, however the price of their MP is decreased, to allow them to nonetheless use help spells. By doing so, they’ll earn Courageous Hearts, which give their grownup kind a lift in assault harm. Swapping their ages in battle permits one other stage of technique in fight.
Nevertheless, given all the opposite upgrades and expertise you earn all through the gameplay, I grew to become so overpowered that I hardly ever used the Soul Alter in battle. I solely used it within the dungeons when a puzzle known as for it.
How did my get together get so overpowered? Let’s discuss these bells and whistles I discussed earlier.
As with most RPGs, Alter Age makes use of a leveling-up system by way of expertise factors earned in battle. Arga, Elise, and Lillieka improve all their stats by leveling up. As well as, their respective weapons will improve their assault and their armor will improve their protection. There are additionally strengthening gadgets which you can give to any character at any time. This stuff will improve their HP, MP, pace, energy, and all the opposite stats. You’ll earn these energy gadgets by way of chests within the dungeons, merchandise spots within the overworld, rewards from battle, and so forth.
There may be additionally a synthesize mechanic the place you may merge outdated weapons and armor along with the brand new, rising its stage and stats. Weapon Up stones and Armor Up stones are additionally gadgets you’ll discover all through and can be utilized to synthesize. I like and hate this mechanic.
I prefer it since you’ll earn a lot gold in-game that there’s little have to promote outdated weapons and armor. Having the ability to recycle them to strengthen the characters’ present assault and protection is an excellent thought.
Then again, I don’t prefer it since you’ll develop into overpowered rapidly. Not solely does this make the sport simpler, however the retailers lose their novelty. When taking part in RPGs, I look ahead to testing the armory store in each city. There’s one thing satisfying about seeing which new and particular weapons I may give my characters. Seeing the “plus” beside sure stats makes me giddy as a result of who doesn’t need to get stronger?
Sadly, it obtained to the purpose the place I’d go into a store within the subsequent city solely to see that the subsequent set of weapons and armor would truly lower my characters’ stats. I had a lot gold that I purchased them anyway after which synthesized them immediately, so that they didn’t go to waste, but it surely was nonetheless a bummer to enter a store and don’t have any motive to purchase something.
Every character solely has one sort of weapon they’ll use, too. Arga wields swords, Elise has a rod, and Lillieka makes use of a scythe. Their magic assaults, for my part, are the place they shine finest. Arga makes use of earth, Elise makes use of water, and Lillieka makes use of fireplace magic.
The get together can even grasp passive abilities by way of the usage of phantom stars. You get phantom stars by incomes them as battle rewards or, mostly, utilizing the composter. You possibly can put something into the composter (besides weapons and armor) and when you attain 100 factors, it’ll spit out one phantom star.
Cooking can be within the recreation. You could find substances within the overworld, earn them as battle rewards, and attempt to combine them collectively to make recipes. The recipes will flip into meals that act as battle gadgets, comparable to boosting your assault energy for a sure period of time. I didn’t use the cooking mechanic. I didn’t care. I attempted it as soon as for the sake of the evaluation, however the substances I threw collectively didn’t create an precise meal. It’s trial and error. I knew I’d get annoyed, so I threw no matter substances I discovered into the composter for the passive abilities.
I wasn’t joking once I mentioned Alter Age has all of the bells and whistles, and I don’t assume this recreation wanted all of that. The longer you play, the extra you’ll get used to all of it, but it surely’s overwhelming at first.
Regardless of being overpowered for a lot of the recreation, I do consider the fight system is its strongest function. Battles are turn-based, and every character’s pace stat decides the flip order. Between bodily assaults, magic assaults and help, and the Soul Alter talent, battles can get fairly attention-grabbing. There’s a whole lot of technique concerned, although I discovered it finest to stay to the bodily and magic assaults. It’s how I most well-liked to play, though I believe the Soul Alter is fairly distinctive.
There’s a Rush Gauge that, when it reaches 100% by hitting enemies, you may unleash a gaggle assault. Once more, I obtained to the purpose the place I used to be so overpowered that I barely obtained to make use of it. My get together would defeat all of the enemies earlier than the gauge reached max. After I did get to make use of it, comparable to in boss battles, the bosses had a lot well being that the group assault barely made a dent of their HP. That’s to not say it’s a ineffective mechanic in-battle, but it surely was a hit and miss for me.
If you should grind, otherwise you’re combating weaker enemies, there’s a useful auto-battle perform which you can toggle on and off. Grinding is straightforward, too. The sport provides you Encounter Bells which you can activate and off within the overworld and in dungeons. One decreases the encounter price of untamed battles and one other bell makes it so that you’ll encounter a battle each single step you’re taking. This mechanic was helpful when there was a selected boss I couldn’t get previous. Expertise factors are beneficiant, too, so grinding a few ranges doesn’t take lengthy in any respect.
The dungeons in Alter Age are bland. Infrequently, you’ll encounter a puzzle, however the characters will determine it out for you in a cutscene. Each dungeon is basically strolling round, moving into a few battles, after which making it to the subsequent boss. The graphics are cute and the dungeons look good, however apart from the surroundings and map layouts, all of the dungeons are functionally the identical.
When beginning a file, the sport enables you to select an issue stage: unparalleled, straightforward, regular, onerous, or very onerous. The one replayability you’ll get out of this title is in order for you extra of a problem. In any other case, I discovered myself going by way of the motions simply to get to the tip. The story wasn’t participating sufficient for me to need to relive it.
Alter Age has an excellent artwork fashion and the music’s a bop. I’d completely add the soundtrack onto my online game playlist. Nevertheless, the gameplay was an excessive amount of at instances. I believe the builders had been bold with the quantity of mechanics and options which might be included. But, the sport ran easily, which is definitely a plus.
Total, Alter Age is value testing should you’re a fan of RPGs. You’ll nonetheless sink quantity of hours into the sport. I’m glad I performed it, however I’m undecided I’ll play a brand new file anytime quickly.